1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to an article cleaning apparatus and, in particular, to a machine for automatically washing and rinsing pots and pans and other similar articles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Machines for automatically washing and rinsing articles such as pots, pans, and the like are known in the art. In one type of prior art machine, the machine is constructed from an enclosed housing having a single front access door for providing access to the cleaning chamber formed by the upper portion of the housing. Arranged along the wall of the housing opposite the front door is an oscillating spray header. This header provides both washing and rinsing fluid to pans supported on their narrow sides in a support rack situated on runners disposed in the lower portion of the chamber. The oscillating spray header comprises an elongated, horizontally arranged main header portion which runs parallel to the access door and has first and second pluralities of similarly arranged spray arms spaced along its length. Each spray arm is provided with nozzles having openings which permit fluid to be sprayed in a direction parallel to the length of the main header portion.
The main header portion is supported within the cleaning chamber so as to be rotatable about its longitudinal axis. As a result, oscillation or rotation of the header in the chamber causes the spray arms to trace out arcuate paths and to eject fluid along such paths in opposite directions normal to the planes in which spray arms oscillate.
As above-noted, the pans to be washed are situated on end in a rack which is arranged in the lower portion of the cleaning chamber. The aforesaid rack is divided into compartments each of which supports pans being carried by the rack. Between these pan supporting compartments are situated unobstructed spray arm receiving compartments. Arrangement of the rack is such that the latter compartments are fixed in position relative to the length of the main header portion and are aligned with the spray arms thereof. Oscillation of the header thus causes the spray arms to safely pass into unobstructed rack compartments and to release spray directly onto the flat, large surface areas of the pans supported in the adjacent pan supporting compartments. In this manner cleaning of the pans is realized safely through direct impingement of cleaning fluid on the major solid areas of the pans, thereby greatly facilitating the cleaning operation.
While the above-described prior art automatic washing machine permits enhanced cleaning to be realized, it exhibits certain drawbacks in situations where large volume cleaning at maximum efficiency is desired.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved automatic washing and cleaning machine of the above type.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved automatic washing and cleaning machine in which access to the cleaning chamber is facilitated in a manner which permits the machine to be safely operated.